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Joseph Trapp
Rev. Joseph Trapp (November 1679 - 22 November 1747) was an English poet, cleric, academic, and pamphleteer. Life Overview Trapp's production as a younger man of occasional verse (some anonymous, or in Latin) and dramas led to his appointment as the first Oxford Professor of Poetry in 1708. Later his High Church opinions established him in preferment and position. As a poet he was not well thought of by contemporaries, with Jonathan Swift refusing a dinner in an unavailing attempt to avoid revising one of Trapp’s poems, and Abel Evans making an epigram on his blank verse translation of the Aeneid with a reminder of the commandment against murder. Youth Trapp was born at Cherrington, Gloucestershire, in November 1679, and baptised there on 18 December 1679, the second son of Joseph Trapp (1638–1698), rector of Cherrington from 1662, and grandson of John Trapp.Courtney, 155. After a training at home by his father and some time at New College School, he matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford, on 11 July 1695. He was elected Goodridge exhibitioner in 1695 and in subsequent years to 1700, and scholar in 1696. He earned a B.A. 22 April 1699, and an M.A. 19 May 1702, and in 1703 or 1704 became a fellow of his college.Courtney, 156. Professor of Poetry Early in his academic career Trapp began to versify for Oxford collections; and he wrote poetical paraphrases and translations which are included in the Miscellanies of John Dryden and Elijah Fenton. His play of AbramuleAbramule: or Love and Empire. A Tragedy acted at the New Theatre in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields (printed without his name in 1704, and often reissued. brought him some reputation. He became the first professor of poetry at Oxford, a position which he held from 14 July 1708 to 1718. His lectures were delivered in Latin and showed originality, but he was thought to have fawned too much on William Lancaster the vice-chancellor. The first volume of these Praelectiones Poeticae came out in 1711, the second in 1715, and the third edition is dated 1736. An English translation by the Rev. William Clarke of Buxted and William Bowyer was published 'with additional notes' in 1742. High Church man Trapp at the same period plunged into politics as a Tory and a high churchman. He assisted Henry Sacheverell at his trial in 1709 and 1710, and on Sacheverell's recommendation became in April 1710 his successor in the lectureship at Newington, Surrey. The preface to a tract''A Letter out of the Country to the Author of the Managers Pro and Con'' on the trial was written by him, and in September 1710 he vindicated Sacheverell's noisy progress into exile in an anonymous pamphlet.An Ordinary Journey no Progress Another anonymous pamphlet by Trapp was called The true genuine Tory Address and the true genuine Whig Address set one against another, 1710. In January 1711 Sir Constantine Phipps, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, took on Trapp as his chaplain, and Trapp wrote partisan political pieces, incurring scorn from Swift. He married in 1712 a daughter of Alderman White of St. Mary's, Oxford, and resigned as a Fellow of Wadham. That year he was chaplain to Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, a place Swift claimed he had arranged. On 1 April 1713 Swift would not dine with Bolingbroke because he was expected to "look over a dull poem" of Trapp's; afterwards he did correct the poem, printed anonymously at Dublin, as Peace: A poem. It was set to music by William Croft. From 1714 to 1722 Trapp held, by the gift of Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough, the rectory of Dauntsey in Wiltshire, and through the interest of William Lancaster he obtained in 1715 the lectureship at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster. The governors of St. Bartholomew's Hospital elected Trapp on 20 April 1722 as vicar of the united parishes of Christ Church, Newgate Street, and St. Leonard, Foster Lane, and in 1733 he was presented by Lord Bolingbroke to the rectory of Harlington in Middlesex.http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22365 He also held lectureships in several London churches, and became president of Sion College. He died of pleurisy at Harlington. He was buried on the north side of the entrance into the chancel. Controversy Real Nature of Church and Kingdom of Christ, 1717, was a reply to Benjamin Hoadly in the Bangorian Controversy. It was in turn replied to by Gilbert Burnet, son of Bishop Burnet, and by several other writers. In the space of a few weeks in 1726 several Londoners became Catholic converts, and Trapp published a treatise of Popery truly stated and briefly confuted, in three parts, which reached a third edition in 1745. In 1727 he renewed the attack in The Church of England defended against the Church of Rome, in Answer to a late Sophistical and Insolent Popish Book. As a compliment for these labours he was created by the university of Oxford Doctor of Divinity by diploma on 1 February 1728. George Whitefield went to Christ Church, Newgate Street, on 29 April 1739, and heard Trapp preach against him one of four discourses on "the nature, folly, sin, and danger of being righteous overmuch;" they were printed in 1739. Answers to them were published by Whitefield, William Law, Robert Seagrave], and others, and an anonymous reply bore the sarcastic title of Dr. Trapp vindicated from the Imputation of being a Christian. He retorted with The True Spirit of the Methodists and their Allies: in Answer to six out of the seven Pamphlets against Dr Trapp's Sermons (anon.), 1740.Courtney, 157. Writing The best remembered of Trapp's works is his translation into blank verse of Virgil, which occupied his leisure hours for 28 years. The first volume of the Aeneis came out in 1718, the second in 1720, and the translation of the complete works, "with large explanatory notes and critical observations," which have been much praised, was published in 3 volumes in 1731 and 1735. Freedom is sacrificed to closeness of rendering, a quality which, as Johnson said, "may continue its existence as long as it is the clandestine refuge of schoolboys" (Lives of Poets, ed. Cunningham, i. 374-5).Courtney, 158. Johannis Miltoni Paradisus Amissus Latine redditus (vol. i. 1741, vol. ii. 1744) was a Latin translation of John Milton's Paradise Lost, printed at Trapp's own cost, and he lost heavily on it. A modern critical view sees a definite intention in the translation of Virgil into Miltonic blank verse, followed by the translation of Milton into Virgilian hexameters, namely to place Milton as the English Virgil.David Fairer, Creating a Nstional Poetry: The tradition of Spenser and Milton, Cambridge Companion to Eighteenth-century Poetry (edited by John E. Sitter), 2001), p. 184. Recognition There is a monument to him upon the north wall of St. Peter & St. Paul's Church, Harlington. Another, the cost of which was borne by the parishioners, is on the east wall of the chancel of Newgate church. Publications Poetry *''Aedes Badmintonianae: A poem''. London?: 1701. *''A Prologue to the University of Oxford''. London?: 1703. *''Peace: A poem. London: John Barber / Henry Clements, 1713; Dublin: J. Hyde, 1713. *''Thoughts upon the Four Last Things: Death; judgment; heaven; and hell: A poem. London: J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver, 1734; London: W. Russel, 1745. Plays *''The Tragedy of King Saul'' (attributed). London: Henry Playford, 1703. *''Abra-mule; or Love and empire: A tragedy. 1704; London: Jacob Tonson, 1704, 1728. Non-fiction *The Mischiefs of Changes in Government. Oxford, UK: The Theatre, for John Stephens, 1705. *''The Practice of Confounding the Distinction between Good and Evil Consider'd, and Expos'd: In a sermon. London: printed by H. Hills, 1708. *''Most Faults on One Side''. London: J. Morphew, 1710. *''An Ordinary Journy No Progress; or, A man doing his own business no mover of sedition''. London: 1710. *''The True Genuine Tory Address''. London: 1710. *''Prælectiones Poeticæ: In schola naturalis philosophiæ Oxon. habitæ''. Oxford, UK: Bernard, Lintott, London. Volume I, 1711; Volume II, 1722 **complete, London: Bernard Lintott / J. Bowyer, 1722 **''Lectures on Poetry, Read in the schools of natural philosophy at Oxford'' (translated by William Bowyer & William Clarke; edited by William Bowyer). London: C. Hitch / C. Davis, 1742; New York: Garland, 1970. *''The Character and Principles of the Present Set of Whigs. London: John Morphew, 1711. *''A Sermon Preach'd at Christ-Church in Dublin, before Their Excellencies the Lords Justices. London: Hen. Clements, 1711. *''To ... Mr. Harley''. London: John Morphew, 1711. *''Her Majesty's Prerogative in Ireland. London: Henry Clements, 1712. *''A sermon ... on the general fast. London: Henry Clements, 1712. *''The Nature and Influence of the fear of God''. London: J.L., for Henry Clements, 1713. *''A Preservative against Unsettled Notions''. London: Henry Clements, 1715. *''The Real Nature of the Church or Kingdom of Christ''. London: Henry Clements, 1717. *''Reality without Existence ... a sermon''. London: 1717. *''The Dignity and Benefit of the Priesthood''. London: Jonah Bowyer, 1721. *''The Case of the Patron and Rector of St. Andrews''. London: Jonah Bowyer, 1722. *''A Preservative against Unsettled Notions and Want of Principles in Religion: In several discourses''. London: Jonah Bowyer, 1722. *''The Honour and Virtue ... of building churches''. London: Jonah Bowyer, 1723. *''Popery Truly Stated, and Briefly Confuted: In three parts''. London: Joseph Smith / Jonah Bowyer / J. Batley, 1726; London : Printed for S. Austen, 1745. *''The Church of England Defended against the Calumnies and False Reasonings, of the Church of Rome. London: J. Smith / W. Mears / J. Batley, 1727. *''A Sermon Preached before ... the Lord Mayor. London: L. Gilliver, for A. Dodd, 1729. *''The Doctrine of ... the Trinity. London: J. Brotherton / J. Hazard / W. Meadows / T. Cox / et al, 1730. *''Religion the Great Support ... of Government. London: 1730. *''The Ministerial Virtue''. London: J. Purser, 1738. *''The Royal Sin; or, Adultery rebuk'd''. London: J. Huggonson, 1738. *''The Nature, Folly, Sin, and Danger of Being Righteous Over-Much: With a particular view to the doctrines and practices of certain modern enthusiasts. London: S. Austen / Lawton Gilliver / J. Clarke, 1739. *''The Nature, Usefulness, and Regulation, of Religious Zeal: A sermon preached at St. Mary's, Oxon. London: Lawton Gilliver, 1739. *''The True Spirit of the Methodists''. London: Lawton Gilliver, 1740. *''A Sermon ... on children in charity schools''. London: printed by M. Downing, 1742. *''Concio ad Clerum Londinensem''. London: S. Austen, 1743. *''Explanatory Notes upon the Four Gospels: In a new method''. London: W. Russel, 1748. *''Sermons on Moral and Practical Subjects''. Reading, UK: C. Micklewright, for S. Birt / E. Wicksteed / W. Russel, London, 1752. Translated *Virgil, The Aeneis. (2 volumes), London: 1718. *Virgil, Works. (3 volumes), London: J. Brotherton / J. Hazard / W. Meadows / T. Cox / et al, 1731, 1735; 4th edition, London: W. Meadows / S. Birt, 1755. ;;Volume II'' *John Milton, Paradisus Amissus Latine Redditus. (2 volumes), London: Lawton Gilliver, 1741. *Anacreon, Anacreontis Carmina Accurate Edita. London: Londin: Samuel Birt / John Clarke / William Russel, 1742. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Joseph Trapp, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Dec. 22, 2016. See also *List of British poets References * [http://198.82.142.160/spenser/BiographyRecord.php?action=GET&bioid=4667 Biography from General Biographical Dictionary (1812-1817)] * [http://wiz2.cath.vt.edu/spenser/BiographyRecord.php?action=GET&bioid=33685 Biography from The Georgian Era: Memoirs of the most eminent Persons who have flourished in Great Britain (1832–34)] * Author Record * . Wikisource, Web, Dec. 22, 2016. Notes External links ;Poems *Joseph Trapp at Poetry Nook (2 poems) ;About *Dr. Joseph Trapp from The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland: To the time of Dean Swift, by Colly Cibber * Trapp, Joseph Category:1679 births Category:1747 deaths Category:English Anglican priests Category:Fellows of Wadham College, Oxford Category:English poets Category:People educated at New College School Category:Oxford Professors of Poetry Category:18th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford